Reports: Real Madrid and Manchester City set to battle for 'world's best' defender
What’s the story?
Real Madrid are set to undergo huge changes in the summer transfer window and they are looking to sign Juventus star Leonardo Bonucci to shore up the backline. With Pepe set to depart the Bernabeu at the end of this season, reports from TalkSport state that the Spanish giants have made signing Bonucci a priority in the summer transfer window.
However, they will also face stiff competition from Premier League club Manchester City. Pep Guardiola is determined to build a squad capable of challenging in Europe, and the Spaniard has reportedly greenlighted a fee of over £55 million for the Italian centre-back.
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Bonucci is widely considered to be the world’s best defender at the moment. The 30-year-old has had another stellar season for Serie A giants Juventus and is on the cusp of winning an incredible treble with the Turin side.
Both Real Madrid and Manchester City are on the lookout for a defender who is disciplined and skilled on the ball and Bonucci certainly fits the bill in both those regards. At the peak of his game and sought after by almost all the top clubs across Europe, Juventus will certainly want well over £55 million to even consider selling their defensive rock at the end of this season.
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The heart of the matter
While Real Madrid have had a very good season so far, a number of changes are expected once the season comes to an end. Names like Pepe, Varane, Coentrao and even James Rodriguez are expected to leave. While Los Blancos like always have been linked with superstar attackers like Hazard and Mbappe, the position where they perhaps need to strengthen the most is at centre-back.
Pep Guardiola, on the other hand, is keen to change the ageing City backline and get some quality. With the transfer fee not an issue for the Premier League giants, the legendary Catalan manager will be hoping to add an established centre-back like Bonucci to his squad and really challenge for the Premier League and Champions League next season.
What’s next?
While there has been a lot of speculation about Bonucci’s future, the Italian will be determined to end the season on a high and not let all this transfer talk disturb him. Interestingly, Bonucci and Juventus will come up against his potential suitorsRreal Madrid in the Champions League final and it will be interesting to see how the battle pans out on the 4th of June.
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Author’s take
Bonucci is certainly one of the best centre-backs in world football right now and should the Italian be available, both City and Madrid should not hesitate to spend £55 million to sign the Italian defender. Calm, composed and blessed with excellent positioning skills, Bonucci will certainly improve both Madrid and City if he does indeed decide to leave Juventus in the summer transfer window.